Shenmue III

Last updated

Shenmue III
ShnIIIDayOne.jpg
Japanese PlayStation 4 cover art, featuring Ryo and Shenhua
Developer(s) Ys Net
Publisher(s) Deep Silver (2019–2024)
Inin Games (2024–present)
Director(s)
Producer(s)
  • Yu Suzuki
  • Cédric Biscay
Designer(s) Aki Tsuchie
Programmer(s)
  • Kazuya Tomii
  • Eric Layton Bergen
Writer(s)
  • Yu Suzuki
  • Jyunichi Yoshida
Composer(s) Ryuji Iuchi
Series Shenmue
Engine Unreal Engine 4
Platform(s)
ReleaseNovember 19, 2019
Genre(s) Action-adventure, life simulation, social simulation
Mode(s) Single-player

Shenmue III [a] is a 2019 action-adventure game developed by Ys Net and produced by Shibuya Productions for the PlayStation 4 and Windows. Like the previous Shenmue games, it consists of open-world environments interspersed with brawler battles and quick time events, with a day-and-night system, variable weather effects, non-player characters with daily schedules, and various minigames. Players control the teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki, who continues his search for his father's killer in the mountains of 1980s Guilin, China.

Contents

The director, Yu Suzuki, conceived Shenmue as a saga spanning multiple games. Shenmue and Shenmue II were developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega for the Dreamcast in 1999 and 2001. The original Shenmue was the most expensive video game ever developed at the time, though this development also covered some of Shenmue II and groundwork for future Shenmue games. The games attracted positive reviews and a cult following, but were commercial failures.

At E3 2015, following years of speculation, Suzuki launched a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund Shenmue III, with Sega having licensed Shenmue to Suzuki's company Ys Net. It became the fastest campaign to raise $2 million, in under seven hours, and ended the following month having raised over $6 million, making it the highest-funded video game in Kickstarter history at the time. Further funding came from Sony and Deep Silver and crowdfunding on other platforms. The development team was much smaller than that of previous Shenmue games, though key staff from the original team returned. Shenmue III was developed using Unreal Engine 4.

Shenmue III was released on November 19, 2019, 18 years after Shenmue II. It received mixed reviews; some critics described it as outdated, while others praised its faithfulness to the franchise. Retail sales were low, but excluded digital sales and copies sent to Kickstarter backers. Suzuki expressed his hope to develop Shenmue IV.

Gameplay

Like the previous Shenmue games, the player controls the teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki, who is searching for his father's killer. Most of the game is spent exploring the open world in Guilin, China, searching for clues, examining objects and talking to non-player characters for information. [1] The game features a 3D fighting system similar to the Virtua Fighter series; Ryo can practice moves to increase their power. [1] In quick time events, the player must press the right buttons at the right moment to succeed. [2] Ryo can earn money through minigames such as gambling, fishing, woodchopping, and forklift driving, and by selling foraged herbs. [3]

Shenmue III introduces a stamina system, whereby Ryo's hit points (HP) gradually decline as the player explores. If his HP drops too low, he loses the ability to sprint while exploring. Ryo can restore HP through sleeping and eating. [4]

Plot

In 1987, the teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki has journeyed from Yokosuka, Japan, to the mountains of Guilin, China, in search of his father's killer, Lan Di. Ryo and his new friend, Ling Shenhua, search for Shenhua's missing father, the stonemason Yuan, in Shenhua's hometown of Bailu Village. They learn that thugs have been harassing the local stonemasons, looking for the phoenix mirror, which Ryo has brought from his father's dojo. Another stonemason, Xu, is also missing. Ryo defeats two of the thugs, but is defeated by their boss, Yanlang.

Ryo learns that Lan Di's father, Sunming Zhao, visited Bailu Village with Ryo's father to train under the local grandmaster. Zhao died under mysterious circumstances several years later. Ryo also discovers that the phoenix and dragon mirrors were created by Yuan's grandfather at the request of the Chinese emperor. Their creation is connected to the local Verdant Bridge, constructed to honor the visit of a Chinese envoy.

At the thugs' hideout, Ryo is defeated again by Yanlang. He convinces Sun, a local martial arts master, to teach him a powerful Bajiquan move, and uses it to defeat Yanlang. A village elder helps them discover a map to the treasure connected to the mirrors. Ryo fends off an attack from Lan Di's henchman, Chai, who reveals that Yuan and Xu have been taken to the city of Niaowu.

Ryo and Shenhua travel to Niaowu by boat. Ryo learns that a local gang, the Red Snakes, is holding Yuan and Xu. Ryo encounters his Hong Kong ally, Wuying Ren, who has traveled to Niaowu in pursuit of the treasure connected to the mirrors. At the Red Snakes’ hideout, Ryo and Ren are defeated by their boss, Ge, who uses an animalistic fighting style. Ryo meets a cormorant fisherman, Grandmaster Bei, who teaches him a similar Bajiquan move to defeat the Red Snakes.

Ryo and Ren approach the hideout, only to find Li Feng, a mysterious woman whom Ryo has encountered previously in Niaowu. She tells them that the Red Snakes have kidnapped Shenhua and taken her across the river to a castle. Ryo convinces Bei to take him and Ren by boat. Before departing, Ren reveals that he has acquired a counterfeit phoenix mirror, believing it could be useful.

The three cross the river with Hsu, a former student of Bei, and Lin Shiling, the maiden of a local shrine. Ryo and Ren infiltrate the castle while the others guard the perimeter. Ryo finds Yuan and Xu trapped in a cell; Ryo defeats Chai again and releases them. In the process, they learn that Li Feng is a Chi You Men leader: Niao Sun. Ryo gives her the real phoenix mirror to spare Shenhua's life, and Niao Sun tells them Lan Di is up ahead.

Ryo and Ren fight their way to the top of the castle, defeat Ge, and find Lan Di. Ryo challenges him to a fight, but Lan Di defeats him easily. Ren offers Lan Di the counterfeit phoenix mirror in exchange for Ryo's life. Lan Di accepts, but Ren hurls the mirror out of a window. Niao Sun has her men distract Lan Di in the castle and consolidate her power, and Ryo and Ren escape.

Ryo, Shenhua, Ren, Yuan, and Xu depart Niaowu by boat. On board, Yuan reveals that the mirrors were initially locked away in a cliff temple; Zhao Sunming retrieved them to keep them from "falling into the wrong hands". After Zhao died, his son, Lan Di, was raised by the Chi You Men. While captive, Yuan also learned that the Chi You have taken over the cliff temple. Ryo, Shenhua, and Ren continue their journey along the Great Wall of China.

Background

The Shenmue creator, Yu Suzuki, speaking at the 2011 Game Developers Conference Yu Suzuki - Game Developers Conference 2011 - Day 3 (2).jpg
The Shenmue creator, Yu Suzuki, speaking at the 2011 Game Developers Conference

The first two Shenmue games were directed, written and produced by Yu Suzuki. They were developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega for the Dreamcast in 1999 and 2001. [5] Suzuki planned to tell the story across multiple games. [6] With a level of detail considered unprecedented, [7] the original Shenmue was the most expensive video game ever developed at the time, reported to have cost between US$47 and 70 million, including marketing. The development also covered some of Shenmue II, which was completed for a smaller figure, [8] and groundwork for future Shenmue games. [9]

Despite attracting a cult following and appearances in several greatest video games of all time lists, [10] [11] [12] [13] the first two Shenmue games were commercial failures. [14] Suzuki worked on various projects which failed to see release, [15] including Shenmue Online, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game for the Chinese and Korean PC markets. [16]

Fans petitioned for Shenmue III, [17] and in 2005 the BBC series VideoGaiden ran a campaign for its release. [18] On several occasions, Sega spokespersons said they recognized the interest in Shenmue and did not rule out another game, [19] [20] and Suzuki said that Sega would be open to the project with the right budget. [21] In 2008, Suzuki established his own development company, Ys Net, while remaining at Sega. [15] That year, Sega announced Shenmue City , a social game for the Japanese services Mobagetown (for cell phones) and Mobage (PC). Suzuki hoped that if Shenmue City were a success it would allow him to make Shenmue III. [22] However, it was shut down in December 2011. [23]

In September 2011, Suzuki left Sega to focus on Ys Net. [15] In 2012, he suggested that Sega could license Shenmue to Ys Net to develop Shenmue III independently. [24] News arose in March 2013 that Suzuki was considering crowdfunding or console exclusivity to fund Shenmue III. [25] During the 2014 Game Developers Conference, Sony Computer Entertainment approached Suzuki about Shenmue III as it was one of the most requested games. [26] [27] [28] In March 2014, Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, said Shenmue III was the most requested sequel from Xbox owners. [29] Sega renewed the Shenmue trademark that May. [30]

Crowdfunding

Shenmue III was announced at E3 in June 2015. E3 2015.jpg
Shenmue III was announced at E3 in June 2015.

On June 14, 2015, the day before the Los Angeles E3 industry event, Suzuki tweeted "E3" with a photo of a forklift, a reference to a minigame in the original Shenmue. [31] During Sony's E3 press conference the next day, Suzuki announced a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to develop Shenmue III for PlayStation 4 and Windows with a tentative release date of December 2017. [32] The surprise announcement drew publicity, [17] winning the "Best Debut" award from GameTrailers [33] and generating a surge in sales of pre-owned Dreamcast consoles. [34] In January 2017, Time, The Guardian and Den of Geek included Shenmue III in their lists of anticipated games. [35] [36] [37]

The initial Kickstarter funding goal, the amount necessary for the campaign to succeed and development to begin, was $2 million. Additional goals, to encourage further donations, included a "rapport system" that changes interactions with characters depending on player choices, and a "skill tree system" allowing for greater customization of Ryo's fighting abilities. [38] Suzuki said that for Shenmue III to be a "true" open-world game, the campaign would need to raise at least $10 million. Nonetheless, he said he would not be disappointed by a smaller figure and would work within the budget. [39]

Shenmue III became the fastest game to raise $1 million in crowdfunding, in an hour and 44 minutes, and the fastest to raise $2 million, in eight hours and 43 minutes. [40] Crowdfunding ended on July 17 having raised $6.3 million from over 69,000 backers, becoming the highest-funded video game in Kickstarter history at the time. [39] On September 17, crowdfunding resumed using the online payment system PayPal. On March 15, the project began accepting pledges through the Chinese crowdfunding platform Alipay. [41]

Crowdfunding ended in September 2018, having raised $7,179,510 from 81,087 backers across multiple platforms. [42] Though this is a large amount for a crowdfunded project, it was relatively small for a high-profile game. However, Sony and Deep Silver provided further funding. [42] After the game was released, Suzuki said it had reached a budget of around $20 million. [43]

Development

Shenmue III was developed by Suzuki's development studio Ys Net. [17] Sony and Shibuya Productions provided production, marketing, and publishing support. [44] [45] Whereas Shenmue and Shenmue II were developed by between 250 and 300 people, Shenmue III had a core team of about 75, with a further 100 outsourced roles, excluding voice actors. [46] Ten key staff had worked on the previous Shenmue games, [46] including Suzuki, the second director Keiji Okayasu, the scenario director Takao Yotsuji, the writers Junichi Yoshida and Masahiro Yoshimoto, the character designers Kenji Miyawaki and Hideki Kawabata and the composer Ryuji Iuchi. [47] [48] The chief executive of Neilo, Takeshi Hirai, was a lead programmer on the first Shenmue. [17] Other staff had credits for games such as TheLegend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and series such as Streets of Rage and Virtua Fighter . [46] Masaya Matsukaze and Corey Marshall reprised their roles as the Japanese and English voices of Ryo. [49] [50]

In November 2015, Suzuki visited China to promote the project and research the locations, traditional clothes and martial arts of Guilin. In a presentation at China's Chuapp conference that month, he said that Shenmue III's story and "composition" were complete and that "baseline research" with Unreal Engine 4 had begun. [51] Suzuki chose the engine as it allowed the team to build prototypes quickly. [52] In late 2015, the team began using Shenmue II characters to run simple battle and conversation tests. [53] In February 2016, Suzuki demonstrated the weather effects, lighting, and music at the Monaco Anime Game International Conference. [54] By December, the game had left preproduction and motion capture and voice tests were under way. [55]

In June 2017, Shenmue III was delayed to the second half of 2018. According to Suzuki, the game had become "bigger and more beautiful" than he expected through the use of new technology. [56] That August, Suzuki announced that Ys Net had partnered with the publisher Deep Silver to publish Shenmue III globally. He told Eurogamer this allowed them to make a larger open world, and that Sony and Sega were still supporting development. [52]

Ys Net released a teaser trailer on August 22, 2017. [57] Some fans and journalists criticized its "stiff" character models and animation. [58] In December 2017, Ys Net announced that the Indian studio Lakshya Digital would provide additional character models. [59] In May 2018, Ys Net and Deep Silver delayed Shenmue III until 2019. [60] At the Gamescom trade fair that August, Deep Silver displayed a new trailer and announced a release date of August 27, 2019. [61] A new trailer was shown in March 2019 at the Monaco Magic festival, showcasing the Guilin setting, fighting system, and several new characters. [62] The fighting system was redesigned to make it accessible to less experienced players. [63] In June, Shenmue III was delayed to November 19. [64] A new trailer, showcasing arcades and fighting gameplay, debuted at the Gamescom trade fair that August. [65]

Release

Shenmue III was released on November 19, 2019, 18 years after Shenmue II. It was published in China by Oasis Games on PlayStation 4 and the WeGame platform on PC. [66] Shenmue III includes a letter to fans from Suzuki expressing his hope to develop Shenmue IV. [67]

A demo was released for Windows in September 2019. [68] The Windows version of Shenmue III was exclusive to the Epic Games Store for the first year. [69] The exclusivity announcement drew criticism from some fans. [70] Kickstarter backers who had requested the Steam version were offered refunds. [70]

In January 2020, Ys Net released the first Shenmue III downloadable content (DLC) expansion, "Battle Rally". As Ryo, Ren or Ryo's sparring partner Wei Zhen, players compete in arcade-style races. [71] A "story quest" DLC expansion was released in February, and features the return of Zhang Shuqin from Shenmue II. [72] The third DLC expansion, "Big Merry Cruise", was released in March. [73] In April 2021, fans released a mod for the PC version that replaces the voices of Greg Chun and Kyle McCarley as Ren and Lan Di with Eric Kelso and Paul Lucas, who voiced them in the original games. [74] On November 19, 2024, Ys Net announced that the Shenmue III publishing rights had transferred to Inin Games. [75]

Reception

According to the review aggregator website Metacritic, Shenmue III received "mixed or average reviews". [76] [77] Reviewers were divided over its similarity to the older games; some felt it was a faithful sequel, while others criticized it as outdated. [91] According to GamesIndustry.biz , "Ys Net hasn't rebooted or reimagined its franchise; rather, it has made a game as if (for the most part) the intervening years never happened at all." [91]

Kirk McKeand of VG247 wrote that he enjoyed Shenmue III despite its "decades-old sensibilities". [92] In a positive review, Martin Robinson of Eurogamer described it as "archaic and arcane ... completely ignorant of modern trends in open world gaming, or indeed trends of the last 20 years ... It looks and plays like a Dreamcast game that's as off-kilter, maddening, magical and majestic as the original Shenmue games, both all-time classics. I think there's good reason to rejoice in that." [1] GamesRadar+ described it as "a magnificent, authentic, totally uncompromised sequel that crucially ignores virtually every gaming trend of the past 18 years". [2] Kyle Hilliard of IGN criticized the plot, feeling it moved the series no closer to a conclusion. [93] At the 2020 NAVGTR Awards, Shenmue III won for best franchise adventure game and was nominated for best franchise original light mix score. [94] [95]

Sales

In Japan, the PlayStation 4 version of Shenmue III sold 17,857 retail copies in its first week, making it the week's fourth-bestselling game and the bestselling new release. [96] In the UK, Shenmue III entered the charts at number 17, selling half as many copies as the 2018 Shenmue remaster. GamesIndustry.biz and VG247 said the sales in both regions were likely lower than hoped, but noted that the chart excludes digital sales and copies given to Kickstarter backers. [97] [98] Lars Wingefors, the CEO of Deep Silver's parent company, Embracer Group, said that Shenmue III had been "fine" financially and that it was a "core niche product". [99]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: シェンムー3, Hepburn: Shenmū 3

Related Research Articles

<i>Shenmue</i> (video game) 1999 action-adventure game

Shenmue is a 1999 action-adventure game developed by AM2 of CRI and published by Sega for the Dreamcast. It follows the teenage martial artist Ryo Hazuki as he sets out in revenge for the murder of his father in 1980s Yokosuka, Japan. The player explores an open world, fighting opponents in brawler battles and encountering quick time events. The environmental detail was considered unprecedented at the time, with numerous interactive 3D objects, a day-and-night system, variable weather effects, non-player characters with daily schedules and various minigames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yu Suzuki</span> Japanese video game designer

Yu Suzuki is a Japanese game designer, producer, programmer, and engineer, who headed Sega's AM2 team for 18 years. Considered one of the first auteurs of video games, he has been responsible for a number of Sega's arcade hits, including three-dimensional sprite-scaling games that used "taikan" motion simulator arcade cabinets, such as Hang-On, Space Harrier, Out Run and After Burner, and pioneering polygonal 3D games such as Virtua Racing and Virtua Fighter, which are some of the games besides others from rival companies during that era credited with popularizing 3D graphics in video games; as well as the critically acclaimed Shenmue series. As a hardware engineer, he led the development of various arcade system boards, including the Sega Space Harrier, Model 1, Model 2 and Model 3, and was involved in the technical development of the Dreamcast console and its corresponding NAOMI arcade hardware.

<i>After Burner</i> 1987 video game

After Burner is a rail shooter arcade video game developed and released by Sega in 1987. The player controls an American F-14 Tomcat fighter jet and must clear each of the game's eighteen unique stages by destroying incoming enemies. The plane is equipped with a machine gun and a limited supply of heat-seeking missiles. The game uses a third-person perspective, as in Sega's earlier Space Harrier (1985) and Out Run (1986). It runs on the Sega X Board arcade system which is capable of surface and sprite rotation. It is the fourth Sega game to use a hydraulic "taikan" motion simulator arcade cabinet, one that is more elaborate than their earlier "taikan" simulator games. The cabinet simulates an aircraft cockpit, with flight stick controls, a chair with seatbelt, and hydraulic motion technology that moves, tilts, rolls and rotates the cockpit in sync with the on-screen action.

<i>Space Harrier</i> 1985 video game

Space Harrier is a third-person arcade rail shooter game developed by Sega and released in 1985. It was originally conceived as a realistic military-themed game played in the third-person perspective and featuring a player-controlled fighter jet, but technical and memory restrictions resulted in Sega developer Yu Suzuki redesigning it around a jet-propelled human character in a fantasy setting. The arcade game is controlled by an analog flight stick while the deluxe arcade cabinet is a cockpit-style linear actuator motion simulator cabinet that pitches and rolls during play, for which it is referred as a taikan (体感) or "body sensation" arcade game in Japan.

Obsidian Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer based in Irvine, California and part of Xbox Game Studios. It was founded in June 2003, shortly before the closure of Black Isle Studios, by ex-Black Isle employees Feargus Urquhart, Chris Avellone, Chris Parker, Darren Monahan, and Chris Jones.

<i>Jet Set Radio</i> 2000 video game

Jet Set Radio is a 2000 action game developed by Smilebit and published by Sega for the Dreamcast. The player controls a member of a youth gang, the GG's, as they use inline skates to traverse Tokyo, spraying graffiti, challenging rival gangs, and evading authorities.

<i>Shenmue II</i> 2001 video game

Shenmue II is a 2001 action-adventure game developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega and Microsoft Game Studios. It was directed, produced and written by Yu Suzuki.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sega AM2</span> Japanese video game developer

Sega AM Research & Development No. 2, previously known as SEGA-AM2 Co., Ltd., is a video game development team within the Japanese multinational video game developer Sega. Yu Suzuki, who had previously developed arcade games for Sega including Hang-On and Out Run, was the first manager of the department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koji Igarashi</span> Japanese video game designer

Koji Igarashi is a Japanese video game producer, programmer, writer, and creative director. In 2009, he was chosen by IGN as one of the top 100 game creators of all time.

<i>Shenmue Online</i> Video game

Shenmue Online was an announced MMORPG where players participate in scenarios from Shenmue II, joining one of three clans, led by Shen Hua, Xiu Ying and Wu Ying Ren, all significant characters from the story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreamcast VGA</span> Accessory for the Dreamcast

The Dreamcast VGA Box is an accessory for the Dreamcast, a video game console produced by Sega, that allows it to output to a computer monitor or a high-definition television (HDTV) set through a VGA connector in 480p, otherwise known as progressive scan. The Dreamcast was one of the first consoles to support 480p and HDTV in general. Sega released the VGA Box as an official accessory in Japan on January 14, 1999, at an MSRP of ¥7000; it was only available in the United States via Sega's online store, retailing between $30 and $50. Though the VGA Box did not receive a release in Europe, PAL consoles can use it since it has no regional lockout.

<i>Shenmue City</i> 2010 video game

Shenmue City is a game in the Shenmue series released for smartphones in Japan. The game was conceived as a way of relaunching the game franchise by series creator Yu Suzuki. It was announced in late 2010 for cell phones and also for PCs, but only a cell phone version was released. The game was discontinued in late 2011.

<i>Shenmue</i> Video game series

Shenmue is an action-adventure game series created, produced and directed by Yu Suzuki. Shenmue (1999) and Shenmue II (2001) were developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega for the Dreamcast. Shenmue II was released in 2002 in Western markets by Microsoft Game Studios and ported to the Xbox. Shenmue III, developed by Suzuki's company Ys Net, was released for the PlayStation 4 and Windows in 2019.

<i>Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed</i> 2012 video game

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is a kart racing video game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. It was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U in November 2012; for PlayStation Vita in December 2012; for Windows in January 2013; for Nintendo 3DS in February 2013; and for Android and iOS devices in January 2014. The PS3 and Wii U versions of the game were released in Japan on May 15, 2014.

Video game development has typically been funded by large publishing companies or are alternatively paid for mostly by the developers themselves as independent titles. Other funding may come from government incentives or from private funding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Read-Only Memory (publisher)</span> British publisher of video game art books

Read-Only Memory is a British publisher of art books on topics of video game history and culture. Following a resurgence of interest in 1980s and '90s British video game development, the company crowdfunded and produced four art books: an oral history of that Britsoft era, two books on British developers Sensible Software and The Bitmap Brothers, and a definitive volume on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, for which the publisher became best known. Read-Only Memory's books are archival anthologies, including original design documents juxtaposed with developer interviews and high-quality prints of in-game graphics. Reviewers were particularly impressed with each book's breadth of unreleased concepts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piko Interactive</span> American video game company

Piko Interactive LLC is an American video game publisher based in San Antonio, Texas. Founded in early 2013 by Eli Galindo, the company focuses on physical re-releases of games from older video game consoles and digitally released ports to newer systems.

<i>Shenmue: The Animation</i> Japanese anime television series

Shenmue: The Animation, also known simply as Shenmue, is a Japanese anime television series based on the Shenmue video game series by Yu Suzuki and published by Sega. A co-production between Crunchyroll and Adult Swim, the series aired from February to May 2022. A Japanese streaming release followed in April 2022. Shortly after its streaming debut in Japan, it was decided that a televised broadcast of the series would commence a month later on Tokyo MX in May 2022. The anime series adapts the storyline of the first two games, Shenmue (1999) and Shenmue II (2001).

<i>Air Twister</i> 2022 video game

Air Twister is a rail shooter video game developed and published by YS Net and released on June 24, 2022 for iOS and macOS via Apple Arcade. The developer later partnered with ININ Games to release the game on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One,Xbox Series X/S and Microsoft Windows of which these versions were released on November 10, 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Robinson, Martin (November 20, 2019). "Shenmue 3 review - a faithful follow-up to an all-time classic". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on November 20, 2019. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  2. 1 2 Towell, Justin (November 22, 2019). "Shenmue 3 review: "Fans couldn't have asked for a more authentic sequel"". GamesRadar+ . Archived from the original on November 23, 2019. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  3. ↑ Bartlett, Liam (November 22, 2019). "Make it rain Yuan with these Shenmue 3 money-making tips". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on November 23, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  4. ↑ Reynolds, Matthew (November 23, 2019). "Shenmue 3 food explained: Best food to buy, how to eat food, and stamina regeneration explained". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  5. ↑ "IGN Presents the History of SEGA". IGN . April 21, 2009. p. 8. Archived from the original on November 6, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  6. ↑ Good, Owen S. (June 20, 2015). "Shenmue creator: Story has 11 chapters, ideally '4 or 5 games' in the series". Polygon . Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  7. ↑ "'90s Making of Shenmue documentary gives glimpse into legendary game". Gameskinny. November 9, 2015. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  8. ↑ Fahs, Travis (September 9, 2010). "IGN Presents the History of Dreamcast". IGN . Archived from the original on September 28, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Shenmue: Through the Ages". IGN . August 8, 2007. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
  10. ↑ Readers' Picks Top 100 Games: 81–90 Archived November 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine , IGN, 2006
  11. ↑ "7. Shenmue - The 100 Greatest Video Games Of All Time - Empire Online". Empire . Archived from the original on August 19, 2014.
  12. ↑ "IGN Top 100 Games 2008 | 10 Shenmue II". IGN . Archived from the original on July 15, 2012.
  13. ↑ "51. Shenmue II - The 100 Greatest Video Games Of All Time - Empire Online". Empire . Archived from the original on August 19, 2014.
  14. ↑ Gillett, Nick (June 26, 2015). "E3 2015 round-up". The Guardian . Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
  15. 1 2 3 Sheffield, Brandon (June 24, 2011). "Yu Suzuki at a time of transition". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on November 4, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Shenmue Online canceled: Who will move all of these online crates now?". Destructoid . August 4, 2007. Archived from the original on January 2, 2016.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Stuart, Keith (July 20, 2015). "Shenmue III is gaming's highest funded Kickstarter – what happens now?". The Guardian . Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  18. ↑ "videoGaiden returns with Shenmue 3 appeal - VideoGamer.com". VideoGamer.com. October 30, 2006. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  19. ↑ Reisinger, Don (November 2, 2010). "Sega: 'Never say never' on Shenmue 3". CNET . Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Sega: no plans for Shenmue III, Seaman 2". Kotaku . Archived from the original on January 3, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  21. ↑ "GDC: The Future of Shenmue". IGN . Archived from the original on March 6, 2011. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  22. ↑ Gantayat, Anoop (November 15, 2010). "Yu Suzuki hopes to make Shenmue 3". IGN . Archived from the original on November 9, 2012.
  23. ↑ North, Dale (January 3, 2012). "Shenmue City shut down". Destructoid . Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  24. ↑ Dutton, Fred (January 4, 2012). "Suzuki: "We can obtain Shenmue license from Sega"". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Sega Considers Shenmue III Options, Trade Exclusivity for Funds". PS3News. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  26. ↑ "Sony Are Helping Create Shenmue III". Siliconera. June 16, 2015. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  27. ↑ Romano, Sal (June 16, 2015). "Sony Is A Partner In Shenmue III's Development". Gematsu. Archived from the original on July 5, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  28. ↑ "Between Shu Ferns: PlayStation Experience clips tease #BuildingTheList announcements". Gematsu. December 2, 2014. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
  29. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (March 31, 2014). "It's games first for Xbox One under new management". Polygon . Archived from the original on April 28, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Sega renews Shenmue trademark as Nintendo registers Code Name: S.T.E.A.M." Metro . May 22, 2014. Archived from the original on May 23, 2014. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  31. ↑ "Is Yu Suzuki teasing something Shenmue related at E3?". Destructoid . June 15, 2015. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
  32. ↑ Fingas, Jon (June 16, 2015). "'Shenmue III' will come to PC and PS4 with your help". Engadget . Archived from the original on June 17, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  33. ↑ "E3 2015 : Best Debut". GameTrailers . Archived from the original on November 25, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Dreamcast console sales spike following Shenmue III reveal". MCV . August 27, 2015. Archived from the original on August 31, 2015. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
  35. ↑ Peckham, Matt. "These Are TIME's 50 Most Anticipated Video Games of 2017". Time . Archived from the original on January 10, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  36. ↑ Stuart, Keith (January 4, 2017). "The 42 most anticipated video games of 2017". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  37. ↑ "The 30 Most Anticipated Games of 2017". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  38. ↑ "The unlikely return of Shenmue". GamesTM . September 24, 2015. Archived from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  39. 1 2 "Shenmue 3 Kickstarter Ends at $6.3 Million, Most Ever for a Video Game". GameSpot . Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  40. ↑ "Japanese videogame designer Yu Suzuki accepts certificates for Shemue 3 crowdfunding records". Guinness World Records . January 18, 2016. Archived from the original on May 7, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  41. ↑ "Ys Net Launches Official Shenmue III Chinese Language Website, Continues Crowdfunding with Addition of Alipay". Ys Net. March 16, 2016. Archived from the original on March 16, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016– via Business Wire.
  42. 1 2 Yin-Poole, Wesley (November 23, 2018). "Shenmue 3 dev declares $7.1m crowdfunding total". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on November 24, 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  43. ↑ "鈴木裕が『シェンムーIII』を振り返り、今後について語る". IGN Japan (in Japanese). April 29, 2020. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  44. ↑ "Slacker Backer Campaign!". Shenmue III Official Website. Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  45. ↑ Finnegan, Lizzy (June 22, 2015). "Understanding Sony's Role in Shenmue 3". The Escapist . Archived from the original on June 28, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  46. 1 2 3 "Less people worked on Shenmue 3 than the Dreamcast originals". VGC. November 19, 2019. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  47. ↑ "Shenmue III: List Of Key Returning Staffs Revealed, Yu Suzuki Wept Backstage At E3 2015 Seeing Kickstarter Success". Gamepur. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  48. ↑ Nakamura, Toshi (June 18, 2015). "What We Know About Shenmue III So Far". Kotaku . Archived from the original on June 27, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  49. ↑ "Shenmue III Kickstarter". Kickstarter. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  50. ↑ Crecente, Brian (July 1, 2015). "Original Shenmue voice actor returns for Shenmue 3". Polygon . Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
  51. ↑ "Update 48: CHUAPPX Expo Review & PayPal Rewards Poll · Shenmue 3". Ys Net. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2015– via Kickstarter.
  52. 1 2 Linneman, John (September 8, 2017). "Sitting down with Shenmue 3 and Yu Suzuki". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on September 8, 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  53. ↑ "Shenmue 3 Creator Gives Small Update on Its Progress". GameSpot . Archived from the original on July 3, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  54. ↑ "Shenmue III environment screenshots". Gematsu. February 27, 2016. Archived from the original on February 28, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  55. ↑ "Shenmue 3 Has Moved into Full Production, Still Looks a Bit Like a Fan Game". Kotaku . Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  56. ↑ Skrebels, Joe (June 8, 2017). "Shenmue 3 Delayed". IGN . Archived from the original on June 8, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  57. ↑ "The first 'Shenmue III' teaser is comfortably familiar". Engadget . August 22, 2017. Archived from the original on August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  58. ↑ "Fans can't agree if the first Shenmue 3 teaser is hot or hot garbage". GamesRadar+ . Archived from the original on August 23, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  59. ↑ "Shenmue III reveals new character, Lakshya Digital collaboration". Gematsu. December 13, 2017. Archived from the original on May 6, 2018. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  60. ↑ "Shenmue 3 delayed another year". Polygon . Archived from the original on May 16, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  61. ↑ Goldfarb, Andrew (August 21, 2018). "Shenmue 3 Release Date Announced - Gamescom 2018". IGN . Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  62. ↑ Robinson, Martin (March 11, 2019). "Shenmue 3 looks a lot like Shenmue in our first proper look at gameplay". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on March 30, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
  63. ↑ "I feel confident that we've made an even better Shenmue game". PlayStation.Blog.Europe. November 1, 2019. Archived from the original on November 1, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  64. ↑ Phillips, Tom (June 3, 2019). "Shenmue 3 delayed to November". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on June 3, 2019. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  65. ↑ Good, Owen S. (August 21, 2019). "New Shenmue 3 trailer looks at a day in Ryo's life". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  66. ↑ "Oasis Games to publish Shenmue 3 Chinese version for PS4". Oasis Games. December 21, 2018. Archived from the original on December 21, 2018. Retrieved December 21, 2018– via Gamasutra.
  67. ↑ "Yu Suzuki pledges to try to make Shenmue 4 via in-game letter to fans". VGC. November 20, 2019. Archived from the original on November 21, 2019. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  68. ↑ Heather Alexandra (September 27, 2019). "Shenmue 3's Demo Is 1999 In A Bottle". Kotaku. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  69. ↑ Messner, Steven (June 10, 2019). "Shenmue 3 is exclusive to the Epic Games Store, gets a new trailer (updated)". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on June 10, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2019.
  70. 1 2 Statt, Nick (July 2, 2019). "The gamers are mad over exclusivity". The Verge. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  71. ↑ January 2020, Alyssa Mercante 15 (January 15, 2020). "Shenmue 3 first DLC 'Battle Rally' is launching next week". GamesRadar . Archived from the original on January 16, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  72. ↑ Chalk, Andy (February 14, 2020). "Shenmue 3's Story Quest Pack DLC arrives next week". PC Gamer . Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  73. ↑ Wales, Matt (March 9, 2020). "Shenmue 3's third and final piece of paid DLC, The Big Merry Cruise, is out next week". Eurogamer . Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  74. ↑ Chalk, Andy (April 8, 2021). "Shenmue 3 mod brings back the original Ren and Lan Di". PC Gamer . Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  75. ↑ Yang, George (November 20, 2024). "A "New Chapter" For Shenmue 3 Has Been Teased". GameSpot . Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  76. 1 2 "Shenmue III for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  77. 1 2 "Shenmue III for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on November 21, 2019. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
  78. ↑ Carter, Chris (August 30, 2021). "Review: Shenmue III". Destructoid . Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  79. ↑ Robinson, Martin (November 21, 2019). "Shenmue 3 review - a faithful follow-up to an all-time classic". Eurogamer . Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  80. ↑ "シェンムーIIIのレビュー・評価・感想". Famitsu (in Japanese). Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
  81. ↑ Reiner, Andrew (August 30, 2021). "Shenmue III Review – Pained Nostalgia". Game Informer . Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  82. ↑ Kemps, Heidi (August 30, 2021). "Shenmue 3 Review - From A Forgotten Time". GameSpot . Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  83. ↑ "Shenmue 3 Review: "Fans Couldn't Have Asked For a More Authentic Sequel" | Aces high". GamesRadar . August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  84. ↑ Hilliard, Kyle (November 22, 2019). "Shenmue 3 Review". IGN. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  85. ↑ Kelly, Andy (August 30, 2021). "Shenmue 3 review". PC Gamer . Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  86. ↑ "Shenmue III Review (PS4) | Aces high". Push Square . August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  87. ↑ "Shenmue III Review | Aces high". RPGamer. August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  88. ↑ "Shenmue III review – the ultimate nostalgia trip | Aces high". The Guardian . August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  89. ↑ Maher, Cian (August 30, 2021). "Shenmue 3 Review: A Long Lost Series Returns, But Was It Worth the Wait?". USgamer . Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  90. ↑ "Shenmue 3 review: repetitive, rough, but strangely endearing | Aces high". VG247 . August 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  91. 1 2 Handrahan, Matthew (November 25, 2019). "Shenmue III: critical consensus". GamesIndustry.biz . Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  92. ↑ McKeand, Kirk (November 19, 2019). "Shenmue 3 review: repetitive, rough, but strangely endearing". VG247 . Archived from the original on November 19, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  93. ↑ Shenmue 3 Review - IGN, November 22, 2019, retrieved April 17, 2021
  94. ↑ "2019 Nominees". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. January 13, 2020. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  95. ↑ "2019 Winners". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. February 24, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  96. ↑ Romano, Sal (November 27, 2019). "Famitsu Sales: 11/18/19 – 11/24/19". Gematsu. Archived from the original on November 27, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  97. ↑ Handrahan, Matthew (November 28, 2019). "Shenmue III comes up short in the Japanese chart". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  98. ↑ White, Sam (November 28, 2019). "Shenmue 3 sales disappoint in Japan and the UK". VG247 . Archived from the original on November 30, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  99. ↑ Donovan, Imogen (February 19, 2020). "Shenmue 3 is too "niche" to make great profits, says publisher". VideoGamer.com. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.